Sask. NDP promises $7.8M to build 3 mental health emergency rooms

Saskatchewan New Democratic Party Leader Ryan Meili has promised more money for mental health and addictions if elected.

In a campaign announcement Thursday, Meili said the NDP would spend $7.8 million to build three dedicated mental health emergency rooms in Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert. 

Meili said people who need mental health supports can wait anywhere from 10 to 18 hours to get a bed.

"Imagine someone in crisis in the emergency room waiting 18 hours just to get into a bed," he said.

"People are slipping through the cracks and it has, too often, tragic results."

In his remarks, Meili brought up the case of Samwel Uko, a man who drowned in Wascana Lake in May after being denied help at Regina General Hospital. The Saskatchewan Health Authority later apologized, and admitted it had failed to give Uko timely assistance.

"These dedicated mental health emergency rooms will support people in a moment of crisis, so they they get the specialized care they need," Meili said.

The ERs would "also take pressure off our already overcrowded emergency rooms, get people the care they need and help support the system," he said.

Meili also promised to spend an additional $2 million to develop a strategy to deal with the province's opioid and crystal meth crisis, focusing on awareness and harm reduction. 

"The Sask. Party has ignored when people have asked for help," he said.

"They've got no crystal meth or opioid strategy, despite the fact that we're now years into a crisis with these drugs."

Marie Agoritis, an addictions advocate with Moms Stop the Harm, spoke in favour of the proposal.

One of her sons died of a fentanyl overdose in 2015 and another is recovering from an opioid addiction. She said the current system isn't working.

"[The system] is deeply underfunded and uses archaic, outdated models of care in the treatment for those suffering," she said.

"We seem to have accepted the dialogue that we are doing the best that we can, and that is far from the truth." 

Meili also promised to develop a provincial suicide prevention strategy that would be legislated.

Previously, the Saskatchewan Party — which is running for re-election — said it has spent $435 million on mental health and addictions services since 2007. 

As well, this year's budget included money for high-intensity treatment teams for children and youth, a rapid access addiction medicine clinic in North Battleford, and new detox beds in Prince Albert and North Battleford. 

Plans for a future Victoria Hospital include an adult mental health space.

There are currently six registered political parties in Saskatchewan: the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP), the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Green Party, the Saskatchewan Liberal Party and the Saskatchewan Party.

Election day is Oct. 26.